Making Things Right
by perscribo
Summary: Set in Season 6. I thought how Booth reacted to Brennan's confession to him in The Doctor in the Photo wasn't very well handled in the show. So this is me, helping Booth make things right. My take on how things should have turned out. Chapter 5 up! Story now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Bones.

 ** _This story idea was borne out of a discussion I had with_** ** _regbride12_** ** _. We were discussing Booth's reaction to Brennan's confession to him in The Doctor in the Photo. To me, the entire story arc after that iconic scene in Booth's car could have been handled better. I also thought that Booth should have reacted differently to Brennan's confession. So here it is, a short fic, making right the events of that episode. I apologize in advance if I inadvertently cause any distress by including Hannah in this story._**

 ** _This story is set after the events of Season 6's, The Doctor in the Photo._**

Seeley Booth dragged his feet as he walked towards the door to his apartment. He couldn't remember the last time he dreading going home. Step by dreaded step, his feet somehow moved him forward until he was left standing, staring at his front door. He knew who was waiting for him behind that door but he was in no mood to be with that person. Tonight, he simply wanted to be alone. He turned, leaning back against the wall adjacent to said door, his head hitting the wall with a thud. He closed his eyes, hearing her voice in his head.

 _"I got the signal Booth. I don't want to have any regrets."_

He remembered the first thought that popped up in his mind as he heard those words coming from her lips. _Is this some kind of sick joke someone is playing on me? Is she saying what I really think she's saying? Why the hell now?!_ He had told her that the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her but he knew he had.

He heard her anguished sobs in his head and his heart broke along with hers that he had broken that night. Right then, he hated himself more than anyone else in the world. He sighed. He had to go home. His clothes were still wet from getting drenched in the rain. Slowly he turned, his entire being filled with a soul-crushing sensation of dread as he turned the key to his apartment door and entered. He knew she would be waiting up for him.

As he locked his gun in the gun safe on the shelf by the door, he hoped futilely that she was already asleep.

"Seeley."

No such luck.

"Hannah. Hey."

She walked up to him wrapping her arms round his neck and planting a kiss to his lips. Booth didn't react, but took a step back, freeing himself from the strangely suffocating confines of her arms.

"I uh… I got caught in the rain. I'd like to hit the shower."

"Of course." If she noticed anything different about her boyfriend, Hannah didn't show it.

Booth hurriedly escaped into the safety of his bathroom. He peeled off the clothes that had seemed to be stuck to his skin and turned on the shower, adjusting the heat until the water was scalding hot. So hot, it hurt. The pain felt good. He felt the need to punish himself. He began to soap and scrub at his skin, trying to wash away the feeling of disgust with himself that he had since he had dropped his partner off at her apartment. He was angry. Angry at Brennan for having the gall to tell him now, when he was with someone else, angry at himself for the way he had reacted to her confession.

The night's events flashed in his mind again. There had been something off about her lately and he was sure it was the current case they were working on. His gut had told him to follow her. Just like he had done for the past six years, he was following his instincts to protect her. He was glad he did. He had saved her from being run over by a car in the pouring rain. He shuddered at the thought of losing her. He wouldn't have known how to live with himself if he had ignored his gut and she had gotten seriously injured or worse, killed that night. He knew he could not live in a world without her. And then the epiphany hit him like the car that would have hit her if not for his timely intervention. He was still in love with her, Temperance Brennan, Bones.

He was now stuck in a no-win situation that he had dug himself into. He let out an angered roar as he punched the tiled wall of his bathroom. The water was beginning to turn cold and he got out of the shower. Towelling himself dry he realized that his clothes were outside in his bedroom. He knew if he walked out of the bathroom naked. Hannah would have wanted sex. That was the last thing he wanted to do then. He wrapped the towel round his waist and opened the bathroom door.

Hannah was on his bed, waiting for him. She licked her lips involuntarily at the sight of him. Booth suddenly didn't feel like being naked in front of his girlfriend and grabbed a pair of boxers and a shirt, quickly slipping them on.

Hannah looked at him questioningly. "Why the hurry to get dressed?"

"Listen Hannah, it's been a long day. I'm just really tired. I'm gonna get some sleep okay?"

This time Hannah let her disappointment show. She sighed. "Okay. Maybe tomorrow morning before work then."

"Yeah, maybe."

As Booth climbed into bed next to her, she leaned in to brush her lips against his. Again, he didn't respond.

"Night." He mumbled as he turned his back to her, no longer desiring any physical contact with her. At that moment he did not desire any physical contact with anyone. He just wanted very much to be alone. He lay very still, waiting for her breathing to slow, signalling that she had fallen asleep. Booth couldn't sleep. He was worried about Brennan. He knew she had to be hurting, he had broke her heart. He had promised he would always protect her, but he had failed. His gaze fell upon his cellphone. He wanted to call her, but then, what would he say? She was probably mad at him. She had said she would adjust and he had no doubt she would. She was a one of the strongest women he knew. The sound of her voice and sobs tortured him. He hated that he was the one who had made her cry.

He thought of Hannah and of the months they had been together. He couldn't just dump her for Brennan. It just didn't seem right. He just wasn't _that_ kind of guy. And he had basically already told Brennan that he wasn't going to do that. He groaned inwardly again at his impossible situation.

Unable to sleep, Booth's mind tortured him until the clock beside his bed read 4:47am. Careful not to wake Hannah, he stealthily climbed out of bed. He had to see her. He was certain she wasn't with Angela or Max. The thought of her hurting and alone was too much for him to bear. He threw on a pair of jeans and grabbed his jacket. In his truck, he was about to take the road to her apartment when he realized she wouldn't be there.

Booth walked into the deathly silent Jeffersonian medico-legal lab. He was thankful it was a Saturday morning and they didn't have a case on hand. The rest of the squint squad were likely still at home at this unearthly hour. He knew exactly where to find her. True enough, there she was in the bone room, hunched over a human skeleton. He felt relief wash over him. She was okay. But then again, he hadn't been egoistic enough to think that she would be balled up in a corner still crying over him.

He knocked on the doorframe, signalling his presence.

"Hey Bones."

Brennan looked up, clearly surprised. "Booth. What are you doing here?"

"I um… I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just… you know after last night." Her eyes looked puffy from crying and it compounded his guilt.

"I told you Booth, I can adjust. You needn't have worried."

"Right." He took a tentative step towards her. She didn't back away. It was a good sign. "Listen, about last night…"

"There's no need to explain yourself Booth. You made your position very clear."

"Yeah but you're still my partner and I still care about you. You're still important to me."

"Yes. But you're with Hannah now. I understand that."

"Bones I never wanted to hurt you. You believe that don't you?""

"Yes."

She was being so nice and polite about it. He wished she was screaming at him, telling him how angry she was at him, because he was still furious at himself.

"Are you satisfied that I'm physically and emotionally well?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Do we have a new case?"

"No."

"Then I'd like to be left to my work please."

"Right. Yeah." Booth knew she wanted him to leave and he didn't know what else to say. "So I'll see you around?"

"Yes. When we have a case. You have Hannah now."

Why'd she have to keep reminding him of that? She had reminded him of a sad fact. Since he had gotten together with Hannah, they had spent less time together.

"I know that. But I also want you to know that I'm still your partner. I'm still here for you." At that moment he felt like a hypocrite.

"I appreciate that Booth."

Booth offered her a small nod before turning to leave. He glanced back at her but she seemed engrossed in her bones again. He sighed. The thought of going home to Hannah made the same feeling of dead envelope him again. When he got home, Hannah was sitting at the kitchen counter eating breakfast.

"Where were you this morning?" She asked as he entered.

"Um… you know this case, it was hard on all of us."

"You were with Temperance."

"Yeah." Booth didn't want to lie. "I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"And is she?"

"Yeah. I think."

"You wanna fool around? I really wanted to last night."

"You know what Hannah? I just… I'm not in the mood."

It was the first time he had turned down sex with her. She seemed to take offense. He read it in her face and the way she folded her arms across her chest.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Temperance."

"She's my partner. We go out for drinks after we solve a case to celebrate. I've explained this to you before."

Hannah nodded. "You're having your son over this weekend?"

 _Parker. His name is Parker._ "Yeah, I'm going over to Rebecca's to pick him now. Have breakfast, then maybe a trip to the park. You wanna come?"

He was confident she would say no. She never liked spending time with Parker.

"I have this lead on a story I need to chase. I'll be out of town for the weekend. I'll see you on Sunday night?"

"Yeah."

Hannah put the empty bowl of cereal in the kitchen sink and moved towards Booth. He allowed her to plant a kiss to his cheek. "See you Sunday."

After breakfast Booth took Parker to the park as planned. They sat on the bench, catching up on what the boy had been up to since the last time they were together. This was followed by tossing a football to each other and a mandatory tumble in the grass as Brennan liked to describe it.

As Booth threw the football to Parker, he realized it had been a long time since his partner had joined them in the park. He remembered times before Maluku and Afghanistan, when Brennan would join them. He remembered that on some weekends they spent time at her pool or enjoyed a picnic in the park.

"I wish Bones was here." Parker said as he ran up to his father, tossing him the football.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." The boy shrugged. "I don't get to see her anymore. I kinda miss her."

Booth missed spending time like this with her too. But the dynamics of his relationship with his partner was too complicated to explain to his ten-year-old son.

"Since Hannah isn't here with us today, could we ask her out to lunch? I'm hungry."

"Lunch? We just ate breakfast."

"Not right now. Maybe she could meet us at the Diner later and we could have milkshakes together. I miss having milkshakes with Bones."

"Yeah um… you know what buddy? I think Bones is kinda busy this weekend."

"Bummer. Can I see her though? Some time soon? I only saw her once since you came back from the war."

"I'll ask her okay?"

"Okay. I like it when Bones is around Dad."

Booth sighed as Parker ran towards the playground, signalling to his father to follow. Just like his son, he liked it when she was around too. He was again reminded of the impossible situation he was in.

 ** _It won't be long before things get fixed, hang in there!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thank you everyone for your reviews. The number of reviews was quite a lot so here goes:_** ** _topaz270 (agree what we wanted might have been too OOC for both B &B), grc73_** ** _,_** ** _dms517,_** ** _RobinAngelena (I know, the way he looked at her),_** ** _GalaxieGurl (Story fix, yup this is what it is, he definitely didn't have to move on right away, but the writers made him do so, I suppose it was needed to help each other especially Brennan see what she was missing),_** ** _bookwormlady, Lauwy (thanks!), doge, Poppyblue5_** ** _,_** ** _554Laura (me too), jsboneslover, gatewatcher_** ** _(things would get better),_** ** _ChrissieA, aadams00_** **** ** _(might have to wait awhile for resolution), kareneb,_** ** _regbride12_** ** _,_** ** _ZinaR, mendenbar_** ** _._**

Sunday came and Booth sent Parker to a friend's house for a birthday party after church. Rebecca would pick the boy up after the party was over. Having an afternoon to himself, Booth decided he would take the time to think over his current predicament.

He wasn't the thinking sort but he knew he had to do something. Hannah would be home that night and the thought of her coming home again filled him with the same dread that he had experienced since that faithful night. He knew that wasn't healthy for a relationship. Sitting on his couch, a glass of scotch in hand, it was as if someone hit the replay button in his brain. Brennan's words echoed in his mind.

He tried to figure out why he had reacted the way he did that night in his truck. There she was, the woman he had wanted since the day he had met her, telling him she was ready to be with him but he had turned her down. Why did he have to tell her Hannah wasn't a consolation prize? He remembered his initial reaction was anger. Anger at her for choosing that exact moment to tell him, when he had already settled into a relationship with Hannah. When he had convinced himself that he was over her. He shook his head. Why was he even angry at her?

For once in a long time, things were going well for him. For once, the woman in question did not reject him. For once, she accepted his affection openly. There were no invisible walls to tear down, Hannah had always been more than happy to accept what he had to offer. If he wanted to, he could have made a life for them together. And then there was Brennan's confession to him that night and that changed everything. He thought that if Sweets where there to hear his thoughts, the kid would have been proud of his self-realization.

His initial anger to Brennan's untimely confession had seemed to have dissipated and Booth knew deep down inside, Hannah wasn't the one his heart belonged to. _There's someone for everyone. Someone you're meant to spend the rest of your life with._ If he were to be brutally honest with himself, he knew Hannah wasn't _the_ one.

"I'm not the kinda guy to dump one woman for another!" Booth groaned out loud to himself.

He knew he had two choices. He could just pretend that nothing happened and just carry on with Hannah or he could break up with her and go crawling back to Brennan. Either way he didn't like the odds. He couldn't just take back what he had said in the truck that night. He was at a loss as to what his next step should be.

And then an epiphany hit him.

"Who am I kidding?" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. His partner had ruined it for all other women. She was his standard. She had always been.

He still had feelings for her. If he had gotten over her, her confession would not have turned his world upside down. Even when he was with Hannah, he was still in love with her. He decided then that he could not carry on a relationship with Hannah. It would not have been fair to anyone. He would be two-timing Hannah. He might have been with Hannah, but his heart belonged to Brennan.

At that moment, he resolved to do the right thing. His Pops had always told him he had all the answers inside of him. His heart was all he needed. At that moment, he resolved to follow his heart.

…

"Thank you for meeting with me." Hannah started at Brennan took the seat opposite her at the café.

"Is Booth okay?"

"Yes he's fine. I last saw him yesterday morning, shortly after he came home from checking on you."

"Oh he told you."

Perplexed, Hannah asked, "Told me what?"

"What I told him the night before in his truck."

"No. He didn't mention any conversation you both had. He just said your recent case has been hard on the both of you. He seems very worried about you."

Brennan nodded.

"Is what you told him that night important?"

"I don't think it is." Brennan shook her head slightly. "Although I'm top in my field, I'm afraid I'm not very good when it comes to things pertaining to relationships."

"Something's changed."

"Could you be more specific?"

"Between Seeley and myself. Ever since I came back stateside, our relationship has subtly changed. Maybe I could ignore it at first but ever since two nights ago, when he came home, the changes are hard to ignore. He's no longer as affectionate. You've been partners for a long time."

"Yes. Almost six years."

"You know him very well. I was hoping you could help me figure out what's going on with him."

"I see."

"So you do know what's wrong with him."

"I'm afraid I might have inadvertently come between the both of you."

"So something did happen that night." Hannah's eyes grew wide. "That night, did you and Seeley hook up or something?"

"Hook up. The euphemism for sex?"

Hannah nodded.

"No. Of course not. Booth is an honorable man. He loves you. He extols the virtue of love all the time. He could never be unfaithful to you, that I can assure you."

"Were you two ever together? Not as partners but more. Lovers?"

"I'm not good at subterfuge and I do not want to sabotage yours and Booth's happiness. As such, I'm unsure how I should answer."

"I would appreciate your honesty Temperance."

"Booth and I have never been together, not in the romantic sense. We are truly just partners. However, some months before Booth left for Afghanistan, before he met you, he had expressed his desire for us to become more than just partners. I turned him down. Shortly after, I left for Maluku and he left for Afghanistan. Where he met you."

"I see. And what you said to him that night?"

Brennan bit her lip. "I told him I regretted my decision to turn him down."

"I understand now."

"No Hannah you don't. You would be happy to know that he told me he couldn't leave you for me. He said he loves you. He genuinely wants to be with you. I'm sorry I temporarily lost self-control. I should not have blurted out my thoughts like that. I'm sorry if I had caused a rift in your relationship with Booth."

Hannah was silent for a moment. "Thank you for being honest with me. In my line of work, honesty is a rare commodity."

"You have to give Booth a chance. He deserves to be happy with you."

Brennan was suddenly worried. Worried she had ruined the happiness of the man she so deeply cared for. By the time he had come to check on her in the early hours of Saturday morning she had already resolved to keep him at arm's length. She had already made up her mind that if Booth thought he could not be happy with her, then he deserved to be happy with Hannah. And that was something she knew she could live with, as long as Booth was happy.

Hannah offered Brennan a bitter smile. "I think we both know who he can only truly be happy with."

…

Booth stood as he heard the keys to his door. Hannah was home.

"So got the big story you wanted?"

"Yes. I'm not one for small talk, let's cut to the chase shall we?"

Booth nodded. "I have something I need to tell you too."

Hannah laughed bitterly. "I think I'm going to beat you to it. We should break up. That was what you were going to say wasn't it?"

Although he had meant to break up with Hannah, hearing her initiate it, still stung. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I met up with Temperance, before I came here."

"Oh."

"You're still not over her. I'm the rebound girl."

"It's not like that."

"You're always the gentleman. It's okay. She told me how you had wanted to be with her before you went to Afghanistan. I was a fool to think that the closeness you both shared was just a strong bond forged over partnership. It's so much more than that. The way you look at her? A blind man could see you're still in love with her. Not to mention the way she looks at you, how much she cares for your happiness. You know, the funny thing is that she tried to convince me to stay with you. To make you happy."

"She did?"

"You two need to get your act together, before there's more collateral damage."

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really thought we could make a life together."

"That is until you came home to DC. Until you saw her again."

Hannah had hit the nail on the head. He had managed to bury all his feelings for Brennan but when they were together again, his love for her raged on with a ferocity that scared him.

"I wasn't being fair to you. I was trying to have a relationship with you while still being in love with Bones." His admission made him feel lightheaded with relief. It was as if he had been living a lie all this while.

"I was never the kind to be tied down to one guy or one place anyway. Why don't you go look Temperance up. I'll pack my stuff, leave your key under that rock outside your door. I'll be gone by the time you get back."

"Yeah." He knew it was for the best. "I'm sorry Hannah. I never meant to lead you on. We were good together."

"But even then we could never have what you and Temperance could've. She helped us put things in perspective. I hope you're happy with her."

Booth exited his apartment that night, feeling like the weight he had been living under for months had lifted. He mused that Parker would be glad to know the next time he came round Brennan would be there with them. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he made his way to the parking garage. He needed the courage to make things right with the woman he had always been madly in love with.

 ** _Ok got rid of Hannah. What do you all think of this version?_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_It's been awhile. Thanks for waiting._** ** _RobinAngelena, FaithinBones (yes agree, a shortened arc would have been better),_** ** _Smooth Doggie (yes they belong together), ZinaR_** ** _,_** ** _bookwormlady (hmm you do know me pretty well :),_** ** _554Laura_** **** ** _(agree, she wasn't all that bad, it's just unlucky for her, the timing was wrong, but we all knew B &B were meant to be eventually anyway), GalaxieGurl_** **** ** _(similar to Laura, yours is very astute assessment of Hannah, just bad timing, and like you said, interloper was needed, it was just painful to watch though), mphs95 (yes that was something I believed too as to why Booth proposed), kareneb (I think Booth wasn't that big of a jerk, he was just very messed up in the heart department), mendenbar (lol yes he saved on splurging on a ring), gatewatcher_** ** _,_** ** _aadams00 (I loved brutally honest Brennan too), Felinxx_** **** ** _(didn't want to drag out the angst), Ellen1983_** **** ** _and other guests. Thank you all for your continued support._**

Booth stood outside the door to Brennan's apartment for a long time that night. Internally, he fought feelings of anger and disappointment at yet another failed relationship, and along with that feelings of nervousness and guilt. Not a good frame of mind to start a new relationship, he thought to himself. He lifted his hand, his finger about to make contact with her doorbell when he hesitated.

 _What am I doing?_

He knew he had no right to be there. He had hurt her and now there he was crawling back to her, like a puppy with its tail between its legs. He needed to stop. To take a breath and re-think what he was going to say to her. He wasn't about to screw things up. He knew he only had one shot at getting this right.

 _What's it with me and staring at doors?_ He shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor. Not tonight. He would come back. They would talk but not that night. Not right after a break up. He turned to leave when he heard her door open.

"Booth."

"Bones."

"Are you okay? Hannah called."

"She did?"

"Yes. She informed me of your break up."

"Right." Booth sighed.

"She said you might need some company."

"Uh… yeah. That sounds good, but it's late."

"No, it's not a problem. You're upset. I'm your partner. Who else would you talk to?" Brennan opened the door wider, stepping back to allow Booth in.

"Look Bones I appreciate what you're doing here but… I think I'm gonna need some time."

"You would like some space and time. To be alone."

He wanted her company then but felt as if he didn't have the right to ask for it. So he lied. "Yeah."

"Would you like to drink? If that's what you were intending to do. I do have some strong liquor here. It is safer than getting drunk at a bar. At least you can fall asleep here on my couch or the bed in my guest bedroom. It might be better for your back. I can confine myself to my room if you'd like to be alone."

Booth couldn't help but chuckle. She was being so nice and considerate again. He found it endearingly cute. At the same time, a condemning voice in his head admonished him for his past treatment of his loyal partner.

"I wasn't gonna get dead drunk Bones. But thanks." It didn't feel right still. He wanted to get his head in the right space. "But I'll take you up on the offer for someone to talk to. Just… not right now."

"You'll tell me when?"

"Yeah. I guess I better go now."

"If you need anything Booth…"

"I know, thanks."

Brennan watched as Booth turned, walking down the hallway. She closed her door after she had watched him enter the elevator.

She closed her eyes leaning back against the door. Her heart had inexplicably leapt when Hannah called. Her first concern was for Booth. She knew he would be upset. She was glad to have ascertained that he didn't seem overly dismayed. Perhaps she wouldn't have to live with regrets after all. Yet she felt guilty. She knew her admission to Booth had played a part in his failed relationship with Hannah. All she wanted was for Booth to be happy. She felt confused. Booth had made it clear he wasn't leaving Hannah for her and yet his relationship with Hannah had ended. After that night, she had adjusted, like she had told him she would. She had come to accept that she was to spend the rest of her life alone. She had her share of wasted chances and knew this would be the one she would regret the most.

If she believed in luck, she would have thought luck was on her side. Booth would have reminded her that it was fate. She didn't believe in that either. Whatever the reason, the man she wanted to be with was available again. She was the last person to truly understand romantic relationships in the way her partner had always said it would be. But she trusted him and resolved that she would wait. She would clarify things with him and she would be patient. Hopefully they would finally get that chance that Booth had talked about more than a year ago.

…

Monday morning came and there was a set of human remains that needed FBI and Jeffersonian attention. Booth appeared at her door that morning, his finger this time having successfully made contact with her doorbell. He greeted her, coffee in hand.

"Mornin' Bones."

"You seem to be in better spirits than last night."

"I didn't get drunk and I didn't go to some pool hall to gamble if that's what you're worried about."

"I wasn't worried." Brennan smiled, accepting his offer of coffee.

"So you got the text?"

"Yes from Cam."

"Let's go then."

The journey to the crime scene in his SUV felt surreal. Since Hannah had appeared in DC, there had always been an inexplicable air of tension hanging over them but this morning, it's presence seemed to have vanished.

"Listen Bones, before we get there…"

"Oh I know. You like to keep your private life private so I won't mention anything about your relationship with Hannah ending."

"I wasn't going to say that but thanks. It's not something I'm ashamed of." Booth glanced over at her. "What I was going to say was… maybe tonight, I'd come over. Talk things out?"

"Of course."

Booth pulled over. They had arrived at the crime scene. He lifted the yellow crime scene tape, allowing Brennan, then himself to duck under.

As they approached the mangled set of human remains on the ground, Brennan spoke, addressing the team at the scene. "If I could have a moment?"

Cam and Hodgins stopped work, looking at her questioningly. Booth shrugged when Cam quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Booth's relationship with Hannah has just ended."

"Bones!" Booth sputtered.

"What? You said you weren't ashamed."

"Yeah but you didn't have to announce it!"

"Under no circumstances should anyone question him regarding his break up. It would be wise to give him the time and space he needs to adjust to being single again."

"Right, thanks Bones." Booth offered an embarrassed smile. He understood her intentions to protect him but did not appreciate the publicity into his private life.

"About time," Cam remarked, casting a sly grin at her long-time friend.

"Wait till I tell Ange." Hodgins grinned excitedly.

"Like Bones said, nothing to talk about, so let's get back to work okay? You got something for me bug boy?" Booth asked, irritated, nodding at the remains on the ground.

…

That night, after work on the case had ceased for the day, Booth reappeared at Brennan's apartment. She answered quickly, ushering him in. He plopped himself down on her couch, letting out a sigh. Brennan moved to her fridge, retrieving a beer for him and herself, then settling herself next to him on the couch. The partners sat in silence.

Booth had spent the previous night nursing what he thought was a broken but confused and guilty heart. He hadn't been fair to all parties involved, himself included. He was glad to be able to be alone with Brennan again without the nagging thought of Hannah at the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry." She spoke first.

"What the hell for Bones?"

"I came between you and Hannah."

Booth shook his head. "Nah. This break up was a long time coming anyway."

"Are you sure? Because you both looked very happy together."

"I guess. But I would be happier with you."

"You would?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I? Listen Bones, about what I said, that night, in my truck…"

"You did say you loved her."

"Right. I said a lot of things okay? I was angry. I thought I'd finally gotten over you and was happily in a relationship with Hannah… it was the worst timing in the world you know?"

"You've gotten over me?" Her voice sounded small and unsure.

"Remember when I told you that you could love a lot of people in this world…"

"But there's only one person you love the most."

Booth smiled. "Yeah."

"So you're in love with both Hannah and myself?"

"No… maybe, yeah… I fooled myself for a time that I loved her, and maybe I did. But for me, you're the one. The one person I love the most. The one and only person I'll ever love from now on."

Brennan smiled to herself. "I understood what you were trying to tell me that night at the Founding Fathers. You assured me you weren't going anywhere. But what you told me about how you love Hannah, it confused me. I'm not very good at reading into what people say Booth."

"I didn't mean to confuse you. I made a mistake. But I'll prove it to you, show you that you're the one and only woman for me. The one I've always loved."

"It is confusing and it frightens me. How you could say you love Hannah then within the span of a few days tell me you're also in love with me? However, I trust you Booth. I'm willing to allow you to show me."

"Atta girl." Booth nudged her shoulder playfully. Booth took a swig out of his beer bottle. His tone grew serious. "What you said that night… about not wanting any regrets… you meant it right?"

"I always mean what I say Booth."

"So you're sure about this, about us?"

"I'm sure about wanting to try being together. I'm sure about not wanting regrets. I'm sure about not wanting to spend the rest of my life the way I always have. Alone."

Booth nodded, taking her hand in his. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way but I don't think now's the right time for us Bones."

"It's not?"

Noticing the hurt look on her face, Booth moved to scoot closer to her on the couch, their knees touching. "Hey, don't look like. Hear me out all right? I just got outta a relationship with Hannah. I need some time to kinda recover, to find myself again. I need to try figure out why I did the things I did. I mean I owe you the best of me. I wanna get this, us, right. You know today, I did a whole lot of thinking. I need you to know that I broke up with Hannah because I'm still in love with you. And I don't want you to think that it was your fault. You need to know you're not second best. You're the one Bones. You've always been."

"I believe you."

"I gotta make sure I'm in the right head space before we start something okay? Cause right now, I'm just angry and maybe a little confused, and scared."

"Angry, confused and scared about us?"

"Yeah, but mostly about myself. I wanted to dump Hannah, but she beat me to it, and that kinda hurt. I need to find my mojo back."

"Mojo?"

"Confidence."

"I understand now."

"In Afghanistan, I made a mistake by starting something I shouldn't have. We just rushed into things and they didn't turn out so well. I was hurting and I missed you but, I should've just been patient. Should've waited for you. So what I'm asking is… and I know it's asking a lot but would you wait for me now?"

"Of course I would Booth. I'll do anything for you." Brennan's confused heart was somewhat put at ease by his words. He still loved her. He had made it clear he wanted only to be with her. That was good enough for now.

Booth's bruised heart felt like it would burst with joy. "Someday soon Bones, you'll see. I'd do anything for you too. I'll make things right. I promise."

 ** _Okay this chapter was for some reason hard to write and had many re-writes. So I'm anxious to know what you all think._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_My list of thanks yous to each of you who reviewed:_** ** _mphs95_** ** _,_** ** _554Laura (was very Brennan-like), kareneb (agree, he was trying to convince himself and everyone but we all know who he truly loves),_** ** _GalaxieGurl (agree, tv time usually is too hurried, unlike fan fic where we're free to express and explore), ZinaR, mendenbar_** **** ** _(thanks), Gailuvspurple (447 is my favourite time on the clock ;p), FaithinBones (thanks!), regbride12_** **** ** _(we all love Booth together with Brennan too!), aadams00,_** ** _jsboneslover_** ** _(thanks for your kind words) and guests who reviewed._**

Brennan's wait for Booth to regain his confidence and to shed his anger and fear dragged into a month which saw them busy with two dead bodies and two murderers to catch. The bad guys caught and put away, Booth finally worked up the courage to invite Brennan to join him and Parker for milkshakes at the Royal Diner one Saturday.

"Over here Bones!" Parker stood, waving excitedly at Brennan as she entered the diner.

"Hi Parker! It's good to see you."

"Dad's no longer with Hannah, so we can have more weekends together now." Parker beamed as Brennan slid into the seat opposite him and next to Booth.

"She knows that buddy." Booth said.

"Maybe next time we could go to the park, or maybe go swimming at your pool again."

"Parker…" Booth admonished his son gently. "It's not polite to invite yourself over."

"No it's fine Parker. Swimming it is, next Saturday."

"Awesome! Can we get our milkshakes now Dad?"

"Sure thing buddy." Booth glanced over to Brennan who was smiling back warmly at him.

"You look happy." He remarked softly.

"Of course she's happy. She's with us!" Parker interrupted.

"Parker's right." Brennan affirmed.

The partners locked eyes, sharing an unspoken moment where the world stood still and only the two existed.

"Now can we please get our milkshakes?" Parker asked impatiently, unknowingly interrupting their moment.

Booth blinked, laughing. "Chocolate right little man?"

…

The week that followed passed slowly. There wasn't a case to solve and the partners met for dinner twice at the Founding Fathers before their agreed upon swim on Saturday morning.

"There she is!" Parker pointed as he spotted Brennan swimming laps in her pool. The place was empty save for the three of them. Parker took off running, ignoring his father's warning to be mindful of the slippery tiles.

With Parker safely at the edge of the pool, Booth took his eyes off his son and focused his attention on his partner's form gliding through the water. He admired her body, her long legs… he began to wonder what he was waiting for? He wanted nothing more than to be with her, but every time he wanted to say something to her, the guilt at how he had treated her the night of her confession stopped him from moving forward.

Brennan stopped swimming and noticed Parker and Booth at the edge of the pool. "I started without you two," she said as she swam up to them.

"That's okay Bones." Booth replied as he lowered himself into the pool.

"Cannonball!" Parker yelled as he launched himself off the edge of the pool, curling himself up into a ball and splashing into the water.

"Parker! Now I'm all wet." Booth complained.

"That's the whole idea of swimming Booth." Brennan teased, enjoying the visual of Booth clad only in his speedos.

"Oh so now you have a sense of humor," Booth rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Brennan grinned. "Think you can keep up?"

She turned, kicking with more force than necessary, splashing Booth some more before taking off, again gliding through the water with a sleek grace and speed.

Booth felt his mouth go dry. Was she flirting with him? He crooked a grin. He was loving this side of her. He kicked off from the wall, swimming after her.

Their morning swim completed, Brennan invited the two Booths to her apartment for lunch. Pizza was ordered and eaten over an Indiana Jones movie of which Brennan took great delight in pointing out it's archaeological inaccuracies.

As the movie ended, Parker, tired out by the morning's swim dozed off on one end of the couch. The partners were snuggled happily next to each other on the other end of the couch.

"I should wake him. You probably have something else to do on a Saturday afternoon."

"Let him sleep. I have no plans."

"Thanks for having us over."

"I had an enjoyable time. You're both great company."

"Thanks Bones. You're great company too."

He cast a glance at his sleeping son, then back at the woman who held his heart. He realized that of all the women he had dated, none of them enjoyed Parker's company as much as Brennan. It was an even greater bonus that Parker liked her just as much. It was as if Brennan knew that having him in her life meant having Parker in it too.

Brennan rested her hand on Booth's knee, allowing him to enjoy the feel of her touch.

"So um… I was wondering… " Booth started, knowing he had to say something. His heart pounded loudly in his chest. He wanted to ask her out, he wanted to tell her he was ready to start a relationship with her. And then his brain decided to remind of his past failed relationships with Rebecca and Hannah. The memory of how he had rejected her that night in his truck and her cries echoed in his mind. He felt guilty again. What they had now was comfortable and he was afraid to rock the boat.

Brennan looked into his eyes questioningly. She knew what he was about to ask. She had given him the time he asked for, perhaps he was ready now.

Beside them Parker stirred. He opened his eyes yawning. "I fell asleep."

Booth cleared he throat, somewhat grateful that his son decided to wake at that very moment. "We noticed."

"Can we go home now Dad? I wanna work on that model plane you got me."

"Right. Yeah. We should go." Booth stood, just as Parker got to his feet.

"We should go to the park next Saturday." Parker said to Brennan.

"Sorry Parker, I think your Mom wants you next weekend."

"Oh."

"We'll go to the park another time." Brennan added as Booth helped Parker into his jacket.

"I'll see you Monday Bones"

"See you Monday Booth."

Booth and Parker left with as much noise and flourish as they arrived at her pool that morning. Brennan sighed as she was once again left alone in her apartment. Maybe Booth wasn't ready afterall. She knew she had to wait, but she wasn't sure for how long. She wondered briefly if he was losing interest in her, or perhaps was still upset over his breakup with Hannah. It was possible he wanted nothing more than a friendship with her. She reminded herself of what he had promised her. She returned to her couch, opening her laptop, her mind was soon occupied with work on her latest novel.

…

A new case came in on Tuesday and the partners had just concluded an interview with a witness, a chemistry professor, at his office.

"Thank you for your time Dr Ramsey. You've been very helpful." Booth said, handing the witness his name card. "If you think of anything else, call me."

"Actually, I was hoping to get Dr Brennan's card." The witness nodded at Brennan.

"That's not what we usually do." Booth explained.

"Oh no," Ramsey quickly clarified. "I would call you Agent Booth, if I think of anything else…" He turned to Brennan. "If I could have a word Dr Brennan?"

Brennan glanced at Booth, who shrugged.

"Of course." Brennan followed Ramsey to a corner of the office. It was a small room which did not afford much privacy so Booth could hear the conversation between his partner and the witness.

"I was hoping, maybe after the case is solved, you'd like to have dinner with me?"

"I see." Brennan turned to quickly look at Booth who had suddenly taken an interest in the abstract painting on the office wall.

Booth was kicking himself on the inside. His Bones was beautiful and it was no wonder guys were asking her out. He was also boiling inside, the gall of the witness to ask in the middle of a murder investigation.

"I understand that given the circumstances, it wouldn't be appropriate but I was hoping, after the case is solved, we can get to know each other better."

"Thank you for your offer Dr Ramsey, but I'll have to decline."

"You're with someone? Figures. Brains and beauty, you're a rare find."

"I'm currently not in any relationship but I've also promised someone I'd wait for him. I'm not in the habit of breaking my promises."

Booth let out a breath in relief, feeling smug that she had turned the professor down.

"It's just dinner, nothing more. We're both highly intelligent people, it might be interesting to have an intellectual conversation, just between colleagues."

"Bones." Booth called out to her. "We really have to go." The chemistry professor was being annoyingly persistent. He fought the urge to reach for his gun and threaten the man to lay off his partner.

Brennan paused, reaching into her messenger bag for her name card. "I'm available tomorrow night."

 _What?!_ Booth inhaled sharply. She was going out with a witness? He fought the anger and jealousy bubbling inside him. He knew he had no claim over her, they weren't technically together yet.

"Great I'll call."

"Bones, we _really_ have to go." Booth called out with more agitation this time.

Brennan smiled at the chemistry professor then headed out the office. Booth held the door open for her allowing her to walk out, his hand protectively coming to rest on the small of her back. He turned to glare at Dr Ramsey who didn't seem to notice his steely stare. Booth knew he had to get his act together, or he might risk losing her to someone else.


	5. Chapter 5

**_To those who reviewed, thank you._** ** _RobinAngelena, Lauwy_** ** _,_** ** _kareneb, aadams00_** ** _,_** ** _554Laura, topaz270, mendenbar_** ** _,_** ** _ZinaR, MstgSzy_** ** _,_** ** _GalaxieGurl_** ** _,_** ** _FaithinBones, Vmf447_** ** _,_** ** _gatewatcher (as do we all lol!), EowynGoldberry_** ** _,_** ** _Monique Sampson (yes that's why he's taking some time), regbride12 (the professor didn't know that), ChrissieA,_** ** _jsboneslover,_** ** _Poppyblue5, and other guests. All of you were right, Booth needed that little push. As for Brennan's motives, I'm of the opinion, she doesn't yet know how to be manipulative that way. She's a very direct person._**

Sitting in his SUV across the road from Brennan's apartment, Booth felt like a stalker. Brennan had gone out to dinner with the Dr Ramsey, the chemistry professor. Booth reminded himself she was technically not his girlfriend yet, and she did tell Ramsey she was waiting for someone, but he also remembered that his partner held a different set of beliefs from him. He glanced at his watch. It was almost ten in the evening. He glanced up at Brennan's apartment, just in time to see the lights come on.

He hadn't noticed Ramsey dropping her off so he must have parked in her building's garage. That could only mean one thing. Brennan had invited Ramsey up to her apartment. Booth clenched his fist tightly, debating what his next move should be. He waited, watching, his mind torturing him with possibilities of what they were doing in her apartment.

Unable to fight his growing jealousy and anxiety, Booth threw open the door to his SUV and jogged across the road. The elevator ride to her apartment seemed to take forever. He found himself standing outside her apartment, much like the night when he had just broke up with Hannah. He took a breath before knocking loudly. He waited nervously, hoping he was not too late to interrupt Brennan and Ramsey if they were intending to hook up.

"Booth?" Brennan opened her apartment door, a look of surprise on her face.

Booth was for once unsure of what to say. He couldn't just tell her he was there to interrupt her date. He tried peering behind her.

Finally finding his voice, Booth asked, "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Brennan took a step back, opening the door wider.

Booth stepped in, almost afraid that he would find a half-naked Ramsey greeting him.

"You're alone?"

"Yes." She replied as she closed the door behind her.

"What happened to that chemistry professor you went on a date with?"

"It wasn't a date Booth."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You invited him up."

"You were spying on me?!"

"I- " Booth stopped, ashamed. He ducked his head, feeling defeated. He looked up, staring into her blue eyes. "Look Bones, I'm sorry. I am an idiot."

"You're not an imbecile Booth."

"No I… I have no right. I just…" he sighed. The memory of putting his heart out on the line only to have her crush it just like that night outside the Hoover haunted him. It was time to be brave, time to bite the bullet, take a risk. He knew it was now or never.

"I love you."

She wore a similar look of surprise that she had on her face when he first told her not long after he had woke from his coma. Her silence was disconcerting.

"I always have."

She was again silent and he was getting unnerved. He thought he could hear the clock ticking on the wall. He decided that talking would be best to drown the deafening silence so he decided to pour out whatever came to mind.

"I'm the biggest idiot in the world. I've got you, this beautiful woman waiting for me to get my act together, and I just act like a coward. Scared stupid that you'll turn me down again. But you know what? I don't care. I really don't. I love you, that's all I know and even if you say no again, I'm not gonna move on. There's no way I can. You… you're the one for me. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. I mean, I let things get in our way and I did a lot of really dumb things to make things harder than they should've been but…" Booth shook his head, "I still know Bones. 30 or 40 or 50 years. That's what we're gonna have. I just know."

There was a time-stopping moment when Booth forgot to breathe, waiting for a response from her. When she broke into a smile, Booth let out the breath he was holding.

"Why did you think I'd say no?"

Still unsure, Booth shrugged, pushing his hands into his pockets. "I don't know. Cause you went out with some other guy, cause you're mad at me for the whole Hannah thing, cause you don't love me back."

Brennan placed her hand on his arm. The partners locked eyes, "I – I do love you back Booth."

And then she did something he wasn't expecting. She leaned into him and pressed her lips gently against his. For a moment, he didn't know how to react, and it took another second before his brain screamed at him that his beautiful partner, the woman he loved was kissing him. He reached for her hips, pulling her flush against him. He deepened the kiss and when she responded in kind with her tongue brushing his, he felt dizzy with joy.

They stood in her living room, enjoying a passionate kiss that was free from any blackmail or secret agendas, much like their first outside the pool hall. When they broke the kiss, they both stood, out of breath, smiling shyly at each other.

"So you're ready for us?" Brennan asked.

"Are you?"

"I told you before, I got the signal. I've been ready for some time. Have you got your mojo back?"

Booth laughed, nodding slightly. "Yeah. I think."

"What took you so long?"

"I felt guilty. For the way I treated you. And you were so nice about it. I was a jerk, I hurt you. I felt like I didn't have the right to start something with you."

"There's no need to feel that way. I never blamed you. I did turn you down before."

"But I still felt guilty. And a part of me was scared."

"And I thought you were losing interest in me. Or perhaps you were not over Hannah."

"What? No. I was over Hannah pretty quick and I would definitely not lose interest in you Bones, you kiddn' me?"

Booth took her hands in his. "I think I owe you an explanation. You know how I had that coma dream?"

Brennan nodded.

"I had always loved you but I hid it inside. But after the dream, after I saw what we could have, I finally admitted to myself that I was in love with you. And I wanted what we had in that dream. When you turned me down, I was devastated. Like an idiot, I decided I had to look for someone else to help me fulfil that dream. For a time, I fooled myself that Hannah could do that. What I didn't realize was that it was never gonna work, not unless the woman was you Bones. I should've figured this all out sooner, I was with Hannah but my heart never stopped belonging to you. When I was with her it wasn't fair. It was like I was two-timing her you know? Being with her but still trying to be close to you. Total stupidity on my part."

"I think you've already established many times tonight that you consider your past actions foolish. But that was the past. We're here now, together."

"Yeah. Would've saved everyone a whole lot of heartache if I'd just followed my own advice. Everything happens eventually, I should've been patient." It felt good to be able to tell her these things. He had hidden them in his heart for too long.

"Admittedly, it was foolish of me to turn you down that night when you asked. I should have trusted you. You're a good man Booth. You're different from other men I've been with. I can see that now."

Still standing in the middle of her living room, they grinned at each other, both knowing they were standing at the precipice of something amazing.

"So we're doing this then?" Her smile got impossibly wider.

"This? Us being together? Hell yeah."

Booth pulled her towards him and they tumbled onto her couch. Making out with her was going to be one of his all-time favorite activities. As they separated for Brennan to pull off his t-shirt and for him to start unbuttoning her blouse, Booth asked, "Did you go out with that professor to make me jealous?"

"What? No. I would never have thought of that. Though on hindsight, I should have gone out on a date with someone sooner. Then perhaps I wouldn't have needed to wait so long for you."

"Then why'd you go to dinner with him?"

"I thought that he had information pertinent to the case that he might have wanted to share with me."

"And did he?"

"Unfortunately not."

"You invited him up here?"

"You were spying on me?"

"You got me. I was jealous."

"He simply offered to walk me up. Nothing else happened. He is a gentleman."

"I hate to think of you with any other men."

"Yes, alpha-males are known to be possessive of their mates."

"I'm your alpha-male mate now huh?"

"I guess you are."

Brennan moved to unbuckle his Cocky belt buckle. He grabbed her wrist, stilling her hands.

"Wait. You're sure about this? I mean I'm not the kinda guy who just has sex with a girl the very first night they're together."

"Technically, this isn't our first night together in my apartment. I know you're traditional like that and you'd prefer perhaps to take me out on a minimum number of dates first. But we've waited long enough. The many times we've had a meal together could constitute dates."

"So…"

"Yes I'm sure Booth." She smiled almost shyly at him. "In fact I've been waiting in eager anticipation."

Booth's pants suddenly got tighter. He cupped her face with one hand, gently caressing her cheek. "Our first time shouldn't be on your couch."

"Would you rather prefer my bed?"

"Yeah, I'd like to show you just how much of an alpha-male I am."

"I look forward to that."

Thankful that she had got the signal, and even more grateful that she would not have to live with regrets, she took his hand, leading him towards her bedroom. They were going to hit that 50 year mark. He had promised her off. She was sure of it.

 ** _And that's all folks. I hadn't intended to drag this one out. The show did a good enough job of that. Thanks for reviewing and sticking with the story._**


End file.
